Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology - CALT
1st Academy

China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), subordinate to China Aerospace Corporation (CASC), was established in 1957 by Dr. Xue-Sen Qian. In 1958, production of the Russian R-2 missile (Project 1059) commenced at Academy 1, which later became the BWYIC [Beijing Wan Yuan Industry Corp.], then the CALT [Chinese Academy of Launch-Vehicle Technology]. It is the largest complex in China mainly devoted to the research and development of liquid-propellant ballistic missiles and launch vehicles derived from these missiles. CALT designs, develops, produces and tests missiles and launch vehicles, and provide commercial launch services for worldwide customers.

CALT is headquartered in Nanyuan, adjacent to the PLAAF Nanyuan Airfield in the southern suburbs of Beijing.

The primary Wanyuan (or Wan Yuan) missile research and development center is located approximately 30 miles southwest of Beijing. Construction of the center probably began in 1959. The facility was initially capable of developing liquid fueled guided missiles from the drawing board through the fabrication of prototypes to engine static test and finally captive or hold-down testa of the conplete missile. As of the early 1960s the facility covered some six hundred acres, and was functionally divided into four distinct subareas: a static test area, a propellants/cold flow test area, a development and engineering area, and an administration / housing/ logistics area.

As of the early 1960s the static test area contained tbree test stands. These included an engine static test stand, a coldflow test facility, and a captive or hold-down test stand. Construction of the facility commenced some time in 1959, and Soviet assistance was available during the initial stages of construction. On the basis of the state of construction in August 1962, it was believed by US intelligence that the facility as a whole was not completed before early 1963, although individual portions could have been activated somewhat earlier. The stands are rail-served and are comparable to some of the largest stands identified in the USSR. Nearby buildings could support some missile and engine fabrication as well as the processing of units produced elsewhere. These stands provided the most significant indicator of the scope of Chinese ambitions and the priority they had assigned to the guided missile program. As of 1987 the facility encompassed at least 100 acres, with six large factory complexes in the compound. China's Long March 2 space boosters are also built at the site. At that time the facility was said to be known as the Capital Machinery Co. and Wan Yuan Industry Corp.

The company was sanctioned by the United States in August 1993 for its missile assistance to Pakistan. Among the Chinese entities sanctioned was the "Beijing Wan Yuan Industry Corporation" (BWYIC). CALT managed the development of the CZ-2C space launch vehicle and hypergolic and cryogenic engines, while SAST was responsible for the CZ-2D booster. The CALT Wan Yuan facility also produced the DF-5 ICBM through the end of the 1990s, at which time production was shifted to a new plant near Chengdu in central China.

Subordinate Entities

CALT has 27,000 employees, of whom thirty percent are engineers and seven percent are senior engineers or scientists. Facilities include some 5,400,000 square meters.

The CALT organization consists of thirteen research institutes [other reports suggest as many as 20 affiliated institutes], six or seven factories and some additional management departments.

The Beijing Institute of Structures and Environment is a professional institute for research and experimentation in structural strength and environmental engineering for aerospace systems. Its primary research fields include strength, stiffness, dynamic properties, stability and damage mechanism analysis of spacecraft structures under static, dynamic, thermal and special environment loading. It also conducts work on the influence of mechanical and natural environment on structures and electronic products, control methods for system reliability, vibration, and other environment, structure reinforcing technology, and the development of load testing system for experiments of structural strength and environment.

The Beijing Institute of Material Technology is a comprehensive center for material performance testing centre, nondestructive testing and failure analysis. The institute is engaged in research of materials and special technology for spacecraft, focusing on research and small batch production of structural and thermal protective composites, including functional and multi-functional composites. Research on civil products focuses on synthetic cardiac valves, graphite products, and rubber and other composite products.

The Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering, which was moved from CAST to CALT in a 1993 reorganization, was founded in 1969. It has developed the FY-1 polar orbiting remote sensing satellites, and the FY-2 geostationary weather satellites.

The National Engineering Research Center for Specific Pump & Valve, supported by the 11th Research Institute of the China Aerospace Corporation, was established in 1991. The center has 209 employees and five major departments: science management department; pump engineerig department; valve engineering department; test & inspection department and a plant for manufacturing pumps and valvers. Activities include cryogenic, high pressure, high speed, anti-corrosion, high cavitation pumps, such as cryogenic pumps, high head small flowrate centrifugal pumps, and vertical and horizontal high speed centrifugal pumps.

Products

The Long March launch vehicles and liquid-propellant East Wind missiles are the major products of the company.